After seven years of regression and blatant self serving interest by the few, finally the ignorant, the rich, and the far religious Right have looked up. How can anyone who can read, or even just watch TV, not realize that something is wrong:

We are dancing with a much larger war than we are in now. Not just Iraq and Afghanistan.

Health care costs are outrageous.

You can't maintain your present economic standard with $75,000 a year. not in the Tri State area.)

The young middle class can't own their own home any more.

Oil and gas prices (No viable alternative) pollution, and the depletion of our planets natural resources and beauty.

Our educational institutions are in shambles. College is unaffordable.

The immigration issue. We did have a very good, large, diner at one time, with the doors open to everyone. We served very good food, and the service and accommodations were like none other on the planet. Well, the diner is packed and the lines are around the corner. The food and service has become too expensive, and substandard. You have been hearing this for years, and now we are on the verge of a national and world crisis.

IT IS, BUT IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT     

I have been a political news, and late night talk show junkie for my entire life. I managed more than a few winning campaigns, and managed to get myself elected on the local village level more than once. I have participated on a high level in my town and county elections as well. I do find the art of manipulating the masses interesting and exhilarating. It's like doing your homework for a horse race, or a chess game. Politics is a virtual game with high stakes. You can lose a lot if you can't see past your nose. Boring? It may be, however, your elected officials control and dictate your life. I have tried to at least keep one eye on this strange breed of highly motivated people. You may not be able to pay much attention to them when you are working your 50 hours a week trying to maintain some quality of life. The little free time that you have may go to much needed recreational diversions. Mindless movies, TV, hobbies, not bad things. Wife, kids, your house. Just living. It's also hard to find pure non biased, accurate news reporting, even if you wanted it. The acclaimed liberal CNN is half entertainment, not news. It appears that Fox News is a tool of the present administration that runs the Country. When its not reporting their slanted news and spin, they are entertaining you with urgent updates of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton or some bizarre crime or happening. Not all that unlike CNN. Hey, if you didn't watch this stuff they would not show it. They don't offer you much more so don't be too hard on yourself. They are in the business of making money, which translates to the necessity of producing large audiences. It's pretty sad when I have to watch the BBC world news produced by the UK to get non-biased facts (little spin) about my own country, and to find out how the rest of the world views America. We are usually the top story in the planet's news, because we have such a huge impact on it. Yes, the world watches us very closely. We should watch us very closely, but we don't.

THE SPIN     

Most philosophers believe that people need, and want to be lead. They like consistency in their life. Some resemblance of order.

Savvy politicians know all too well that people do not like sudden change. When initiating their own agenda, and even yours, they do it innocuously, and gradually. They have to do it very carefully not to piss off too many people. At least, not enough to get them voted out of office. Keep 51% of the voters happy. If it's self serving, they try to make you believe that they are acting in your best interest. A lot of ways of doing that. Scare tactics, prejudice, and religion works very well. This administration has used all three of these with great success for the last seven years. They convinced a lot of people that God is a card carrying member of their Party. The American flag on their lapel belongs to the Republican party only. It was catching and clever the way it was used after invading Iraq. I felt excluded because I didn't have a flag on my car. The Democrats are all spiritually and morally bankrupt, and are all going to hell. That is the message.

Fear: It was imperative for our immediate safety to invade a country with a fascist leader who does not truly observe any religion, who was as much of a threat to us, as Iceland would be in the immediate sense. Taking over Afghanistan was necessary I suppose, however, there's not much money in the commodity market for rocks theses days. Iraq has oil! Russia and China are really scary to me with long range nuclear weapons. Pakistan, Iran and North Korea would have made more sense then Iraq if we were truly talking about our safety.

Religion: Family values? That's kind of a Morse code that means prejudice to a lot of people. Church every Sunday in some organized CHRISTIAN religion. This excludes a lot: Jews, Asians, Muslims. The right to chose (abortion) Gay rights, women's rights and general equal rights. If you don't belong to one of theses organized churches then you are EXCLUDED from the CLUB of family values. When a party keeps hammering away at family values all of the time, you start wondering who doesn't have them. Well of course! It must be the other Parties that don't. Do you get it? Prejudice.

Family values has been the Morse code used by this party (GOP) of the rich and powerful to garner the huge part of their only true constituency; the average working class Evangelist. They represented 40% of Bushes two victories, as well as Huckabees victory in Iowa.

They don't have the numbers to impact elections in the North East and thus has little effect in New Hampshire. The rich and powerful arm of the GOP (Conglomerates) can't stay in power with just their money.

They need the evangelist vote. They get a lot of it in the South.

THE AWAKENING     

The GOP has walked that fine line with YOU the middle class for years, and managed to keep half of you happy. You have no problem having TWO people working hard 50 hours a week if you have some quality of life. A house, family, safe neighborhood, education, and some time to pursue some of your dreams. My father was an ironworker, and my mother did not work. On occasion that rich arm of the GOP slowly exposed bits of their self serving agenda, and you accepted their little perks, and transgressions on the small scale. "Politicians! They are all the same" We have no time to be watching them. Let them have their perks. Well, this kind of apathy was acceptable to a lot of people at one time.

But, the Republican Party is furious with their leaders today. They are furious with their leaders today because they have not delivered to their general rank and file of their constituency. Even the Evangelists are scrutinizing the morality of their party.

They have delivered to the few very rich, and influential of their party in a huge way.

The rich arm of the party had no problem with the administrations agenda these last seven years.

They do have a big problem now. It's because the administration permeated their TRUE agenda so callously and glaringly in your face, that it was revealed. Yes, even the rank and file of their own Party has finally seen that the people who have been running their party have only been serving the rich select few. They are more pissed off at them, than they are with the Democrats. At least they know where the Democrats are coming from for the most part. But now their party is in shambles, and does not know what to do. Their very mixed field of candidates tells you that. They all have different positions on very important issues that will impact the general elections. This has not happened since the 1950's. Are they that disappointed in their candidates that they will vote independent or democratic? Will they vote for real change without the backing of big corporate money? Will they vote for a black man, or a woman.? Did someone say Jew? President Bloomberg!

The corporations have not decided who to back yet. When they find their next puppet watch out! I can see them sitting in a board room right now deciding on who will serve them the best. They are limited. Can they buy McCain? He may not be elect able any way. Would Rudy take their money and dance after he's elected? So, who is going to have those big bucks behind them? Clinton, and Obama really can't take their money. Well, at least not unconditionally….

THE GOOD NEWS     

It gives me great pleasure to see so much interest in this election by my countrymen.

I hope that this time around they will not vote for a personality, what we need is smart.

In some strange way I like that George has gotten elected, as bewildered as I was with the ignorant level of a lot America at the time. He has brought a lot of wrong to the surface. It may have gone on another twenty years otherwise. I can't even get mad at poor George.

The guy never had a chance against the people who had him in their pocket. It's sad to say, that he really was never smart enough to have seen the end result of where they were leading him. A great guy to hang out with and have a few beers and laughs with. Likeable. Probably more of a follower then a leader, with average intelligence. Rich as well. No great insight into the future. A perfect Puppet.

WE HAVE TO KEEP INFORMED       

These are scary times. As hard as it may be, we have to stay politically informed in this next year at minimum. Seek out the truth. This country is at a critical turning point, and we have to pick the driver. Maybe even help get him or her in to the seat.

Their is too much money flying around out there, that is poised to be used by some very clever self serving people. Know when they tell you that it's snowing in July, that they are up to something. Fear, Prejudice, Religion, Family Values (Whose family). If you start hearing too much of those, then start reading between the lines.

If would have liked to write about the potential candidates, but I felt that this was more important. Maybe I will in a month from now when we see where the betting money is going at the track. Who has the inside information at the track. Kerry has just endorsed Obama. In my mind it is way too early for a reputable Democrat to do that. I have not had time to digest that one yet.

I will say something that I am sure of.     

Clinton, Obama and Edwards are on the same page on just about every important issue. They all want to, and will, initiate a big good change. I would be extremely happy to see any of them elected at this point. The big and really important question is which one of the three can win. It may look like two of them could easily beat any one today in the general election. OH yeah? Tell me what you think in September, two months before the presidential election. After a billion dollars is spent on it.

Nuff said,

James GARY Connors

Local 361